B-MEIS Newsletter - June 2021 (Plain Text Version)
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ARTICLES HELLO MY NAME IS... ELEVATING STUDENT IDENTITY THROUGH RESEARCH AND REFLECTION ON NAMES
The My Name My Identity Pledge asks educators to commit to pronouncing student names correctly in order to “foster a sense of belonging and build positive relationships in the classroom, which are critical for healthy social, psychological, and educational outcomes” (The My Name, My Identity Campaign, n.d.). But long before I became aware of this pledge, a group of 5 year old multilingual learners from Mexico schooled me on the importance of name pronunciation. “Her name is Karen,” the Kindergarten girls corrected me after I naively mispronounced one of their names. These little girls were not thinking about the implications of the education system whitewashing their friend’s cultural identity. But they knew, as Kindergarteners, that I said it wrong, and they were going to ensure that their white ENL teacher didn’t make the same mistake twice. And I didn’t. Over the past two decades, I have taken the time to ensure I ask every student to say his or her name for me (often several times), never assuming I know the correct pronunciation. Our names are symbols of our identities, our cultural backgrounds, our languages, and our family stories. With these concepts in mind, I collaborated with general education teacher Jennifer Jaffe to develop an interdisciplinary thematic unit of study for elementary students. The unit can be adapted and used with a wide variety of students at varied grade levels and varied levels of English proficiency. I launch this unit at the beginning of the school year in order to develop a classroom culture of respect and appreciation for every member of the class. The unit begins with space for artistic expression with students designing and decorating banners to display their names. But this activity is much more significant than it may appear. The students are taking ownership over their names, and introducing themselves with whatever variation of their name they wish to share with the class. Some students share a nickname, some students share their given name, some students share the name they prefer to be called. This is the students’ opportunity to establish their names with their peers and their teachers. This creative expression is a critical launch to the unit, as the students are claiming their identity through the use of their name - it’s a demonstration of pride. They are uplifting their own names and identities as they carefully decorate their banners with hearts, flags, and symbols that represent their loves and interests. By allowing time for this activity in class, I am giving value to our names and our identities. They are important. They are us. The classroom space is a place of respect. The next component of the unit is a sharing of multicultural literature, all tied to the theme of exploring our identities through our names. There are some amazing children’s books that allow for class discussion on a character’s struggle with identity as it connects with his or her name. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi tells the story of a Korean girl named Unhei who tells her classmates she will choose a name from a suggestion jar rather than tell them her actual name. Your Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow features a girl who no longer wants to attend school after a day of hearing all of her peers and teachers mispronounce her name. Her mother helps her explore the musicality of names in order to uplift her. Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal tells the story of a little girl learning how her very long name tells a story about where she is from and who she may one day become. As students connect with characters featured in these books, they begin to explore the stories of their own names. While some students know who named them and the history of their name, others have never heard the story. The next part of the unit involves research, and even students in primary grades can begin to learn what research is and how it can be accomplished. We explore ways in which students can investigate the story of their names. We develop interview questions that students will use in order to ask their family members questions about their names. Students use their ipads or other digital recording devices in order to conduct simple interviews. Some students research their entire names, while other students find out the story of one part of their name. This freedom gives students ownership over the lesson and the research process. Students conduct the interviews in the language of their choice, as we can only receive the complete name story when family members are able to speak freely in their home language. Students can then choose to share the recorded interview with the class or describe it in their own words. Students have shared whatsapp conversations with a grandmother in Guatemala, video recordings of a jovial family dialogue, or an anecdote from a sibling. The interviews not only serve as an opportunity for research but also as inspiration for family time, sharing, and connections to culture and language. Students then engage in writing the story of their name, using the information they collected from their family members. The narrative is the story of their name, told through their eyes. The following two student narratives (2nd grade and 4th grade), entitled The Story of My Name, capture the essence of the unit, displaying cultural pride and uplifting student voices.
As the capstone project of the unit, students share their writing during a celebration of us - our names, our identities. And the students beam, proudly stating, “My name is…” References The My Name, My Identity Campaign. (n.d.). The My Name, My Identity Campaign. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.mynamemyidentity.org/
Monica Baker is the current President of NYS TESOL. She is a nationally board certified ENL teacher. Monica is a passionate advocate for English Language Learners and their families. She is the Executive Vice President of her local teachers' association, as well as an active member of NYSUT. |
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